Problems of oil, fuel and gasoline spills on the soil or earth around gasoline service stations has been known for some time. However, more recently, attention to such contaminated soil has focused on the problem caused by these petroleum hydrocarbons turning up in municipal water tables, wells, lakes, and other sources. Accidental gasoline and fuel spills are contributory to the problem as is deterioration of fuel holding tanks and associated equipment resulting in leakage of the flammable hydrocarbon materials into the surrounding soil. As these hydrocarbons are leached into water supplies by rain water run-off or other naturally occurring conditions, they become more problematic as the substantial number of gasoline service stations in or near populous areas increases.
Because of the aforesaid problem, environmental protection regulations have recently required that any contaminated soil containing over 200 ppm of these flammable and hazardous hydrocarbon materials be removed and stored in licensed and controlled dumpsites. To remove the soil and replace it with uncontaminated soil is very expensive and time consuming as is the transportation to the storage area.